October
NovemberBernborough wins hands down
The debate about the most popular horse in Australian racing history is really a non-issue.
While Carbine attracted 80,000 patrons to the 1890 Melbourne Cup and Phar Lap 72,358 and 82,352 in 1930 and 1931 respectively, the Caulfield Cup crowds for those years were 28,000 (1890), 46,000 (1930) and 38,000 (1931).
The attendance at the 1946 Caulfield Cup was a staggering 108,213. Bernborough was aiming for his 16th straight win and caried 10.10 (68kg), starting 7/4 favourite. He was poorly ridden by Athol Mulley and finished an unlucky fifth. Two weeks later in the Mackinnon Stakes, ridden by Billy Briscoe, he broke down and was retired.
The Melbourne Cup crowd for 1946 was 98,077. Only the 2003 attendance of 122,376 to witness Makybe Diva’s first success compares favourably with Bernborough’s 1946 crowd.
Although it may be argued that the 1946 attendance was accentuated by a pent-up demand, being so soon after the end of World War Two in 1945, it was still more than 18,000 up on the previous year.
Compare this with the disappointing Caulfield Cup crowd of 21,855 in 1983. It wasn’t helped by inclement weather but it was still the smallest crowd since 1894, when 20,000 witnessed the win of Paris.
In recent times Caulfield Cup crowds have hovered around 30,000, a situation that is unlikely to change given improved off-course facilities.
Outside the Melbourne Cup we are unlikely to see a crowd to rival that for the 1946 Caulfield Cup. Bernborough’s popularity speaks for itself.
Clifton Hill (Vic)